An Attempt at Normality
by GoDownWithThisShip
Summary: In an AU with no vampires Damon and Alaric are left in charge of Elena after her entire family perishes in the car accident. This fic just explores how Damon and Alaric handle their relationship, and their responsibilities.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey, it's another Dalaric fic! This takes place in an AU where Damon and Alaric are a perfectly normal couple (no vampires!) They have a pretty decent life together. Elena is their teenaged daughter (you'll get the whole story if you read on). They still live in Mystic Falls, there's just nothing supernatural going on.**

"Damon, could you help me with these groceries?" Alaric leaned against the hood of his car.

"Could you say please?" Damon asked teasingly.

"Dayyyyyyyyy!" Alaric whined playfully.

Damon sniggered and hung up. He rushed to the door, threw it open, and went to meet Ric in the drive. He gave his awaiting lover a kiss on the cheek before opening the door of the back seat to retrieve the paper bags filled with food.

"I'm _so _glad finals are over," Ric said grabbing an armful of groceries from the trunk. "We can finally have a decent family dinner."

"I'd hate to say it, Ric. I think I actually missed your cooking."

The two men laughed and carried the groceries into the house. "I'll grab the rest, do you think you could stick some of this crap in the fridge?" Ric asked Damon.

"I may be young, but I'm perfectly capable of putting a few groceries away," Damon said rolling his eyes.

"Whatever you say," Ric said smiling as he turned to retrieve the rest of the groceries.

Damon began to place all the items that needed to be chilled into the fridge. This required him to move around some of the Chinese takeout from last night, and throw away a few undesirable left overs. His hands were completely focused on the task, however his mind was going through all the things he needed to do.

_This weekend is the big day, _he thought to himself. It was Alaric's thirtieth birthday and Damon was going to make sure it was the best day of his life. Each night, after tucking Ric in, Damon would sit up until the wee hours writing invitations. It had taken him three nights to write all the invitations since he was inviting the whole town. Mrs. Lockwood was a family friend and she was more than happy to lend her mansion for the special occasion. He wasn't going to tell Ric anything. He was simply going to claim that they were going to visit Mrs. Lockwood for a small birthday lunch. Damon smiled to himself as he imagined the surprised look on Ric's face.

"Here, let me help," Alaric said quietly behind Damon as he began to help Damon sort through the new additions to the fridge.

"Thanks, boo," Damon said in his best faux ghetto accent.

Ric giggled. When they were finished stocking the fridge, Ric retreated to the living room and collapsed on the white leather sofa. Damon poured two tall glasses of lemonade and followed. He placed the glasses on twin coasters on the coffee table and plopped down beside Ric.

"How's Elena doing?" he casually asked. He reached over to grab his glass of lemonade and took a long sip from it.

Alaric folded his arms across his chest, "It's hard for her. We lost our best friends six months ago, right? Well she lost her parents."

Damon nodded, "Are we doing a good job? I mean, I know we'll never _really _compare, but are we at least, doing okay?"

Alaric sat up and wrapped an arm around Damon's shoulder, "We're doing the best we can, Day. If the Gilberts hadn't thought we could do this, they wouldn't have made us godparents."

Damon rested his head in the natural niche between Alaric's shoulder and head. He took another sip of lemonade, "It's just hard."

"Well finals are over. I have a lot more free time. The founder's party was a success, so you've got a clear schedule until the next founder's event. We're going to have time to be a family," Alaric said reassuringly.

Damon bit his lower lip, "What if Elena doesn't want to be a family?"

"Of course she'll want to be a family."

x~x~x~x~x~x

"Elena!" Elena turned at the sound of her voice being called. Caroline was speed walking toward her. Elena turned back to her locker and continued to sort out her books. The last thing she wanted to do right now was to pretend to be okay. All she wanted was to go home and curl up in her room and take a nap.

Caroline stopped in front of her and crossed her arms over her chest, "Elena Gilbert, I am about to share some incredibly exciting news with you. Can you at least pretend to be interested?" Caroline asked.

Elena turned and her lips curled into the most convincing fake smile she could manage, "Sorry Caroline, a lot on my mind. What's up?"

"I just heard word of the _first _really big party of the school year. It's going to be up by the lake. Lot's of booze. The football team is going to be there," she winked.

Elena felt her stomach drop. She really didn't want to spend an evening trying to duck away from Matt. "When is it?" she asked despite of herself.

"This Saturday. There's going to be a bonfire at sundown, so don't miss it."

"I dunno Caroline, it's Ric's birthday," Elena said drearily.

"You're going to _bail _on the best time of your life to go to Mr. Saltzman's birthday party? Really Elena, you need to sort your priorities out."

"Look, I don't want to be there as much as you don't want me to be there. If I don't go, Damon'll probably try to ground me or something," Elena said.

"Seriously? It's not like he's your dad…or mom. How does that even work anyway?" Caroline was obviously confused. Elena wanted to laugh but she didn't want to hurt Caroline's fragile feelings.

"I know that. Okay? I just feel like I owe them-"

"You don't owe them shit. You're coming to the party. If not I'm disowning you. Okay. That's final," Caroline turned and walked away down the hall.

_Great, _Elena thought, _What's the lesser of two evils? Do I want to spend the night with a bunch of friends and pretend to have fun? Or Do I want to spend the night with my adoptive parents and pretend to have fun_


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the positive reviews! I wasn't sure the idea would catch on. I'm glad it has!**

_What do I do when everyone expects me to be happy? What do I do when everyone expects me to be the same person I was? I can't be that girl anymore. That girl drowned in the river on the same night her parents did. I'm only the ghost of that girl._

"Hey, Elena, erm. Dinner's going to be done soon," Alaric said from the doorway.

Elena looked up from the journal entry she was writing. "Okay Ric," she said emotionlessly and returned to scribbling.

Ric lingered for a moment, watching her, before he retreated back to the kitchen. He opened the oven to check the chicken. The scent of various herbs wafted out. He inhaled deeply and smiled, _still got it._

He straightened up and opened the cupboard to find some plates. Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around his middle, and a head rested on his shoulder. "Damon. I know you're hungry but-"

"I'm starving Ric," Damon whined. "When is dinner going to be done?"

Ric smiled, "Soon. Can you set the table?"

Damon snorted, "Please. That's woman's work."

"Pretty please?" Alaric asked, mustering up his sweetest tone of voice.

Damon sighed, "Fine." He gave Ric a quick peck on the cheek and started gathering plates and utensils. "How's Elena doing by the way? Still pouring her soul into that journal?"

Ric nodded. "I can't help but worry about her."

"I know. Chin up, Darling, No one said this was going to be easy." Damon said, playfully bumping Alaric's hips with his own. Alaric couldn't help but smile. Damon left the kitchen to fulfill his duty of table-setting.

Elena capped her pen and hid her journal behind a picture frame that hung behind her bed. She went downstairs to investigate the delicious smell wafting from the kitchen.

"What's for dinner, Ric?"

"Baked chicken, veggies, you know, normal stuff. No more take out crap," he responded, taking the chicken out of the oven.

Elena nodded and went to claim her seat at the dining room table. Damon was already sitting and reading the day's newspaper. He looked up and smiled at her, she wasn't able to return it. She sat down across from him and the silence settled around them. Soon Alaric entered with the food, which he placed in the center of the table for everyone to help themselves.

Elena picked at her chicken. It was delicious, but her stomach seemed to have shriveled up and was reluctant to accept any form of food right now. She could feel Alaric and Damon watching her. They treated her like she was some sort of home made explosive that was liable to go off at any time and hurt not only herself, but them as well.

"How was school, Elena?" Ric asked.

"Fine," she replied.

"How are your friends doing?" he persisted.

"They're doing good," she replied.

Alaric nodded and gave up. He glanced at Damon who took his cue gracefully. "Elena, are _you _okay? You've been a little secretive and antisocial lately." he said.

Ric glared at him. _Way to be so forward, Damon._

Elena shrugged. "You know I'm not really hungry right now. Can you wrap this up for me? I'll come down and eat it later."

Before either Ric or Damon could object, Elena stood up and evacuated.

Ric watched her leave the room before turning to Damon and whispering hostilely, "You're _so _tactful Damon. I'm _impressed._"

"Oh, Darling. You just wish you had the balls," Damon smirked.

Alaric shook his head and continued to eat. They sat in silence for a while. Finally Damon apologized, "I'm sorry Alaric. I really need to think before I speak."

Alaric waved him off, "Don't worry about it. It's just frustrating, knowing that she's upset and not being able to help."

"Ric. If you don't realize that she's almost a grown woman and she can take care of herself, you're either blind or an idiot. Let's just drop it and talk about something more cheerful, shall we?" Damon suggested.

Ric agreed. "Are we still on for dinner at the Lockwood's this weekend?" he asked.

"Of course, wouldn't miss that for anything," Damon said, smiling slyly.

"I feel like Mr. Lockwood doesn't like us very much, though," Ric said uneasily.

"Oh please, don't be silly. The Salvatores and the Lockwoods have historically been close."

Ric nodded, "You're right. I'm just being sensitive."

"That's what I like about you," Damon grinned. He leaned over and gave Ric a quick kiss on the cheek. Ric smiled, and quickly pressed his lips against Damon's. Damon's mouth muscles couldn't resist breaking out into a smile.

The phone rang, interrupting their moment. Damon pouted, but Alaric stood up anyway. "It could be important," he said. He went to the kitchen and lifted the phone off the receiver. He put it to his ear, "Hello?" he answered.

"Hello, is Damon there?" the voice was relatively deep. It was the sort of voice that made Alaric go weak in the knees.

"Sure just a minute," he said. He put a hand over the receiver and called. "Damon! Phone's for you!" into the dining room.

In a moment Damon was standing next to him, holding his hand out for the phone. Alaric gave it to him, "Hello?" Damon answered. He twirled the phone chord around his index finger while the person on the other line talked. Damon grinned and said, "Sure, and when would that be? No, no. Not at all. Mi casa, es tu casa"

Finally, Damon said goodbye and hung up. "Who was that?" Alaric asked. By now he could feel a bitter taste building up in the back of his throat. He had the urge to punch whoever was on the phone. He felt threatened. Was some younger, more attractive man trying to move in on the love of _his _life?

"That was my brother Stefan," Damon said and every particle of jealousy washed from Alaric's mind.

"What did he want?" Alaric asked.

"He's in town for a while. He's wondering if he can stay with us," Damon explained.

"Well the more the merrier. We just have to make sure that we clean up the guest room," Alaric said.

"Perfect."

**Yup. Just wanted to build on the relationships between characters and add a little plot in the end. ;**


	3. Chapter 3

Damon let his head roll back and for a moment the pain in his neck subsided. Water was gushing from the faucet and filling the bathtub. He took a handful of bath salts and tossed them into the tub. He also mixed in a dash of his favorite bubble bath. When the bath was threatening to foam over the edge of the tub, he shut the water off and stripped down to climb in. He sunk deep into the bubbles. The warm water beneath eased his aching muscles. Who knew that cleaning the guest room would prove to be such a chore?

The bathroom door opened and Alaric entered. Damon turned his head and followed Alaric with his eyes. He was wearing a thin cotton tank and Damon swore that he could make out the faint lines of muscle beneath it. Alaric's hair was in a slight disarray, just the way Damon liked it. Alaric stepped up to the sink and grabbed his toothbrush, loaded it with paste, and began to brush his teeth. Alaric looked into the mirror above the sink and noticed Damon lounging in the bath tub. He turned and came to sit on the edge of the tub.

"Nice of you to join me," Damon smirked. Alaric shrugged sheepishly. They sat in silence for a while. Neither of them felt eager to break it. It was those yes that had first drawn Alaric to Damon.

_I sat down at the bar and paid special attention to not lift my head up far enough to make eye contact. The room itself was dimly lit and a haze of cigarette smoke made visibility poor. I folded my hands on the counter and the bartender came over and asked what I wanted to drink. I chose a rum and coke. I didn't want to be completely gone if someone came up to talk. The bartender mixed my drink and slid it across the counter. I picked up the glass and took a long sip. I could feel a little courage slipping into my veins. That's when __**he **__sat next to me. I glanced sideways, I could make out his dark hair and thin physique. _

_"Bartender, Bourbon please," the stranger said. The bartender poured his drink. The stranger took a sip and turned to me. "I've never seen you here before," he said._

_I turned and my hazel eyes were electrified by the green of his. For a second I was paralyzed, but finally I managed to speak, "Yeah, I've never really, well. I don't know if I'm really supposed to be here, but I figured-"_

_The stranger put an arm on my shoulder, "Hey. It's okay. I can remember my first time here. I wasn't really sure of myself either. You're here to find yourself out then?"_

_I nodded, "Yeah. That's it." he said. His gaze wandered around the room. Most of the occupants were men, many of them were very attractive. Some sat alone, others in groups. There were a few couples sitting at tables in the darkest corners of the room, lord knows what they were doing. Suddenly I wanted to turn and bolt for the door. I wasn't so sure about any of this anymore._

_The stranger noticed my uneasiness. "Hey, what's your name? I'm Damon," he said quietly._

_I focused back on him. He was smiling at me reassuringly. My heart rate gradually slowed down to a normal rate and I managed to smile back. "I'm Alaric," I said._

_"Ooh, what an interesting name!" Damon said and I explained that it was a family name._

_"I was going to ask you about yourself, but you seem a little tense," he said, "Maybe I should go first?"_

_"Oh yeah, by all means. I'll be fine, just gotta get a few more drinks in me," I answered._

_"Fair enough," Damon said smiling. He turned to the bartender and ordered another round. He then turned to me and told me his story._

_"I'm Damon. Born and raised in a town a few miles off from here. Mystic Falls. Real nice place. Barbecues, bonfires, and block parties every weekend in the summer. I knew for a while that I wasn't like all the other guys. That sounds pretty cliche, but whatever. My brother, he was on the football team and my dad was __**so **__proud. We would go to every single football game and cheer him on. Me? I was more into literature. I guess I was lucky, huh? I don't think there was ever a doubt in my mind when it came to who I was attracted to."_

_I nodded, "Yeah, you were a little lucky. I dunno, I think I've been confused about everything for years. I've always been a part of athletics. I love doing sports and watching sports and everything..I dunno. I'm from a place where, even if you're remotely different, you're punished for it."_

_Damon's eyes softened and I could almost see my own struggles mirrored in them._

"Whatcha thinking' about?" Damon asked and Alaric was suddenly conscious of the present.

He stood up and spit into the sink. Then he rinsed his mouth out and returned to sit on the side of the tub again. This time he sat closer to Damon. Damon put his head on Alaric's thigh. "Remember when we first met?" Alaric asked.

Damon scoffed, "Of course I do. Best night of my life."

Alaric felt a smile creeping up at the corners of his mouth. He leaned down to give Damon a tender kiss which Damon was more than happy to return. Their mouths moved gently against each other and Alaric tangled his fingers into Damon's hair. They pulled back for air, their faces only inches apart.

"You wanna join me in here, Darling?" Damon asked, slightly out of breath.

Alaric wasn't the biggest fan of bubble baths but he lifted his tank top over his head and began to untie his pajama pants anyway. Damon couldn't take his eyes away from the rippling muscles of Alaric's abdomen, or his toned legs. Alaric climbed over the side of the tub and eased himself into the warm water. Some of the water sloshed over the side, but neither of them cared.

x~x~x~x

Elena was lying in bed. The darkness had enfolded on her and she felt suffocated. She tossed and turned but there wasn't a position that held any promise of sleep. Her mind was almost as active as her body.

_How do I even go about being the "new" Elena? Will Caroline or Bonnie accept me? Or will they be like everyone else and expect me to get over myself?_

_Will anyone be able to accept me_


	4. Chapter 4

Elena rolled over and glanced at her alarm clock. 5:00. _Only a few hours earlier than I meant to get up, _she thought. _At least it's Friday._ She sat up and stretched, a kink in her neck protested but she ignored it. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and went to the bathroom to begin to get ready. She stood in front of the mirror and the reflection that looked back at her seemed normal enough. Her hair was orderly, her complexion was fine. However, if anyone were to look closer, they would notice the subtle darkness blooming underneath her eyes. They would also notice that her brown eyes didn't reflect the outside world as normal eyes do. They were dull, and utterly lifeless. She splashed water over her face, _good thing nobody bothers to look closer._

Damon rolled over onto his back. The soft cotton sheets which usually breathed like a second skin felt stifling. He crawled out from under them, careful not to wake Alaric who was slumbering next to him, and made his way to the bathroom. He turned on the hot water of the shower and smirked recalling what had happened in the tub only hours ago. When the water was a satisfactory temperature he stepped in and let the water rain down on him. He ran both hands through his hair.

_My palms were sweaty as I leaned in. My lips met his, and it was awkward as hell. His arm moved around my waist and pulled me closer to him. My stomach was in freefall, it was the first time I had ever been kissed. Suddenly my door burst open and I jumped back. My father was standing there, clearly upset. "What the hell are you doing, Damon?" he shouted._

_I enclosed my boyfriend's hand in my own. He was shaking, from surprise or fear. Possibly both. "Nothing," I replied weakly._

_"It sure as hell doesn't look like nothing!" he turned to my boyfriend. There was a sort of hostility burning in his pupils, "I think it's time for you to go," he said._

_My boyfriend gave my hand a final squeeze, stood up, and quickly left the room._

_"If I ever catch you doing shit like that under this roof again, Damon," my father's voice had fallen to a normal volume but it still carried the same threat, "I will break every bone in your body before kicking your ass out. Do you under stand me?"_

_I had no choice but to nod. He gave me one last icy glare before turning and leaving. I sat there for a second fighting off the tears, but my defenses were weak. The tears broke through my front lines and spilled down my cheeks. I didn't move to wipe them away. I couldn't move._

_That's when Stefan came into my room. He sat beside me. The pain was clear in his eyes. He had heard the whole thing._

_"Did you tell him?" I asked. I was furious but my voice was hollow._

_"I'm sorry brother," he whispered._

_"How could you?" I choked._

_"I can't lie to him Damon. Besides all I said was that you and a friend needed to do a project together! I didn't know what he was going to do!"_

_I looked down and studied the carpet. He put a hand on my shoulder and apologized. I couldn't forgive him. I couldn't forgive him for being father's pet._

_"_You okay Day?" Damon's attention snapped back to the present and he turned to look through the clear shower curtain. Alaric was leaning against the bathroom counter and watching Damon uncertainly. Damon nodded and Alaric turned to brush his teeth.

Elena was dressed and downstairs making toast. There was a knock at the front door. She frowned and went to answer it. As far as she knew, they weren't expecting any guests. She opened the door and a jolt of surprise expelled any feeling of drowsiness she was experiencing. There on the doorstep stood a guy, not much older than herself, with windblown bronze hair and gentle loamy eyes.

He could see the confusion on her face so he extended a hand, "I'm Stefan Salvatore," he said, "Damon's brother."

"Oh," Elena said shaking his hand. "I'm Elena Gilbert. Um. I think Damon's upstairs, should I go get him?"

Stefan shrugged, "Sure," he said. "I just need a little help with my bags."

Elena nodded, "Come in and have a seat. I'll go grab Damon and Alaric and they'll be right down to help you." She turned and climbed the stairs. Stefan leaned against the door frame. He was exhausted from the bus ride down from Pennsylvania. He had been so eager to get out of Mystic Falls, but now he realized that he missed it more than he could ever imagine.

Damon was the first down the stairs and he smiled thinly at Stefan, "Hello brother."

They embraced and Damon went outside to assist Stefan with his luggage. They carried his twin suitcases up the stairs and situated them in the guest room. By now Alaric had gone downstairs to cook everyone breakfast. The scent of simmering bacon and eggs made Stefan's stomach growl.

Everyone joined together at the kitchen table. Each had a serving of bacon, eggs, and some of the toast Elena had prepared earlier. At first it was quiet, aside from the scraping of silverware against plates. Finally Damon spoke, "How's Penn State treating you, brother?"

Stefan shrugged, "Didn't like it. I decided to take a little break from schooling for the moment."

"How did dad react?" Damon asked casually.

Stefan's muscles tensed, "I haven't told him yet," he replied.

"You're going to have to tell him sooner or later,"

"I know," Stefan said. The conversation ceased.

"I should get going," Elena said. She got up, and went upstairs to get her backpack. When she came back downstairs, she said goodbye to everyone before leaving the house.

Alaric checked his watch. He was running late. He gave Damon a quick peck on the cheek before rushing out the door.

This left Damon and Stefan to sit and stare at each other across the table. "Damon, I do plan to tell him soon. Let me do it. Please," Stefan said quietly.

"You should do it soon. Before the college gets to it first."

"I know," Stefan said.

"So you just threw your football scholarship away? All that hard work?" Damon asked.

"I didn't care about the football, Damon," Stefan groaned.

"Oh really? So you just pursued it to make daddy happy?"

"Yeah, I guess," Stefan mumbled.

Damon scoffed.

"I know you're still upset with me, okay?" Stefan said desperately. "I know how much shit you went through and I get it!"

"No. No you don't get it. I'm letting you stay here, Stefan. I'm letting you stay here because I care about you. I want you to reconsider everything _because _I care. I want you to reconsider throwing your future away, but mostly _please _reconsider throwing the relationship you have with dad away."

"Dad will love me no matter what I do, Damon," Stefan objected.

Damon pounded the table and shouted, "Really? Do you really believe that Stefan? I'm living proof to the contrary!"

Damon stormed from the room in anger and left Stefan there in the company of soiled breakfast dishes and silence.

**Hi! Hope you liked the chapter. Stefan's here! The reason why I made their father so hostile toward Damon is because of his attitude toward vampires in the show. Also, he shows a lot more of his paternal side toward Stefan (or so Damon believes) in the fic**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, this is just an intermediate chapter I guess. Not a lot of action, just some character growth and development. The next chapter is the whole party/conflict chapter.**

Elena found her mind wandering. She couldn't focus on her subjects that day, but her teachers had stopped coming up to her after class and asking her if 'everything was okay'. Now they just let her sulk in the back row of the room. That day in math she pondered her plans for the weekend. Unfortunately Caroline always took the seat next to her so she was unable to ponder in silence.

"Elena have you made a decision yet?" Caroline whispered while pretending to take notes.

"No, sorry," Elena said scribbling a poorly drawn doodle in her notebook.

Caroline sighed, "Elena, you seriously need to loosen up a little. Have a few drinks. Mingle," she winked, "Y'know? I think it's about time you started to let everything go a bit and get back to normal."

"Yeah, I got the picture Caroline," Elena tried to smile but her mood pulled her facial muscles back into a neutral position.

_Who was she to decide what normal is? There isn't exactly a __**normal **__after what happened. Who is she to decide when and how I cope?_

x~x~x~x~x

When the final bell rang, Elena stopped at her locker quickly, and left before she could get flagged down by Caroline. She got into her car, pulled out of the school parking lot, and drove in the complete opposite direction of home. A short time later she pulled into the empty parking lot of the cemetery. She hesitated for a second, she wasn't sure she wanted to get out of the car. She hadn't step foot in the cemetery since her parents' funeral. She idly tapped her fingers on the steering wheel and looked at the rows of headstones on the other side of her windshield.

Finally, she opened her door and stepped out. She buried her hands in her pockets and slowly made her way into the cemetery. She passed by rows and rows of the deceased slumbering merely feet below.

At last she came to the resting place of her parents. She sat down upon the grass which had regrown over their grave. She reached out and traced the names of both her mother and father. "I really, really miss you guys," she whispered. Tears followed quietly after her words. She had cried before, sure. She had cried at the funeral and a few times afterward, but this was different. She didn't have to bury her face into a pillow with fears of Damon or Alaric hearing her. She let everything pour from her until she was too physically tired to walk back to her car. She laid in the grass in the fetal position. Tears were still trickling from her eyes and her breathing was spastic and irregular.

In that moment, she made her decision. _Just like the grass on this grave, I will regrow. I won't be the same as I was before. But I will __**survive.**_

x~x~x~x~x

Damon was stirring a pot of soup on the stove. The smell of baking biscuits drifted lazily through the kitchen and on into the rest of the house. He had spent the entire day vacuuming the carpets, doing laundry, and other activities to keep Stefan from his mind. Stefan had kept his distance for the entirety of the day. He had spent the morning unpacking and getting settled. He went to the Grill for a quick bite to eat and ran into a few old acquaintances there. Now he was sitting in the main square watching the town bustle in front of him. He was bored, but he dreaded going home and facing Damon. He felt heavy. Too heavy to even move.

He noticed two boys around six or seven chasing after each other. The boy doing the chasing suddenly attempting to grab for the other. Instead he shoved him into the concrete sidewalk. A woman, who Stefan assumed to be the boy's mother, came running over and tried to comfort the boy on the ground while scolding the boy left standing.

_"STEFAN what's going on?" I looked up. I was kneeling next to Damon who was lying sprawled on the ground. His plastic sword was still clutched in his hand._

_"We were play fighting," I explained, hiding my own sword behind my back._

_"What did you do to him?" mama shouted._

_"I-it was an accident mama-" tears were building up behind my eyes._

_Damon propped himself up and attempted to stand. His legs were visibly shaking and his breaths were struggled. It was then that I had realized I had knocked the wind out of him._

_She kneeled next to him and helped him up. "Damon, baby, are you alright? Did Stefan do this to you?"_

_Damon shook his head. She glared at him. It was the type of glare that would have melted whatever defenses I had and the truth would ultimately come rushing out._

_But Damon wasn't phased. "I fell down mama. I fell down bad and then I couldn't breathe."_

_The corners of her mouth twitched and she pulled him into a hug. "You silly thing," she said. She turned her attention to me, "You make sure he doesn't hurt himself, okay? You know how fragile he is." With that she stood, ruffled his curly ink-colored hair and went back into the house._

Damon was always sensitive, breakable even. As he got older he tried to hide it more and more, but it's the Damon that lay sprawled out on the concrete that day, or the Damon that cried over a cut on his knee from falling off his bike that Stefan would always remember. With that he stood up and decided that he was ready to go back.

x~x~x~x~x

Elena stood up and decided that she was ready to go back. The sun was going down and she had run out of tears. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve on the way back to her car. She got in, pulled out of the cemetery, and drove home


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey! Here's another chapter. Alluding to drug + alcohol use. Fluff~. You know how these things work ;)**

Alaric stirred from his sleep due to the exhilarating sensation of Damon whispering in his ear, "Good morning, Sunshine."

Alaric turned to face his lover, at first he was a little grumpy, "What the hell, Day," he mumbled, driving the heel of his palm into his right eye to clear it of sleep.

"I'm sorry. I'm just excited I guess," Damon smirked, and gave Alaric a quick kiss which immediately made him more alert, "Happy birthday."

Alaric could feel an involuntary smile spreading across his lips and he rolled over onto Damon, pinning him down. Damon was caught off guard and Alaric took the opportunity to lower his lips onto Damon's. It was if they were two wires that connected with a spark. A current of energy flowed through both of them. Damon reached up and entangled his fingers in Alaric's carefree sand colored hair and pulled him closer. Alaric's lips traveled over Damon's quivering jaw line and down his throat. He could feel Damon's steady heart beat under his lips. He opened his mouth and allowed his teeth to graze the sensitive flesh at the nape of Damon's neck. Damon cupped Alaric's face in his hands and brought it back up to his. They simply stared at each other. Damon's green eyes were bright and betrayed a certain electricity that he felt coursing through him. His eyes traveled over Alaric's face and down his body. Alaric's eyes were mirroring Damon and he couldn't fight the heat that was rising within him. In a split second they were entangled in a kiss once more.

x~x~x~x~x~x

_Today I decided that I was going to be my own person, something that old Elena could never have done. I'm not going to give in to Caroline, I'm going to spend time with the two people in my life who have been trying to make me feel normal again. I can't help but wonder…How long can I take this feeble attempt at normalcy?_

A knock at her door caused Elena's attention to snap. She realized a few stray tears had leaked from the corners of her eyes. She wiped them away and quickly stuffed her journal into its hiding spot and got up to open the door. _It's a little early for Alaric to be calling me down for breakfast…_

She almost jumped when she opened the door. Stefan was standing uneasily in the hallway. His hands were burrowed into the pockets of the jeans he was wearing. He shifted his weight and he too almost jumped when she opened the door. It seemed as though he was expecting someone else.

"Um…did you need something?" she asked.

"I haven't really had a chance to get to know you," he explained. "I mean, you're pretty much part of the family now." _How can she possibly wake up looking like that? _He wondered to himself. He recalled the girls that lived in his dorm back at Penn State. He almost shuddered to think of the half dead, bitter beings that drifted down the hallways an hour before the start of class. _Wait. Are those…tears?_

"Oh," she said tonelessly.

"Are you okay?" he blurted out.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She responded so mechanically, he was sure that she was forced to reiterate that answer every single time someone asked her that question. He could see the lack of energy in her eyes. Her body breathed a subtle sort of sorrow.

"No. You're not," he said quietly.

Elena's breath caught in her throat. Of all the people to question her half assed answer, it was this stranger. Her friends, Damon, Alaric, they all believed her. They all wanted to believe her. They wanted to believe that she was coping.

"I should really get dressed," she said firmly. She hoped he would agree and leave her alone. She didn't want him to get in the way of her perfect performance.

"Sure, um, I'll just go see if there's anything to eat in this house,"

Elena shut her door and exhaled. _I don't have to face everything alone, maybe he'll understand. How could he understand? Would he want to understand?_

_If he didn't want to understand, he wouldn't have questioned me._

_Am I ready to let someone understand?_

x~x~x~x~x

The house was quiet for the majority of the day. Elena spent most of it in her room, writing in her journal and thinking. Stefan sat idly on the couch watching daytime programs on the television. His mind wasn't invested in the images on the images on the screen. He was thinking as well. He was thinking about how to tell his father about his decision. He was thinking about the best way to mend his bond with his brother. And occasionally he found himself wondering about the broken girl upstairs. The girl with the burden too heavy for her delicate frame.

Finally, it was time for everyone to convene downstairs. As far as Alaric and Stefan were concerned they were going to dinner at the Lockwood mansion. Damon was absolutely ecstatic and he gave Alaric's hand a little squeeze on the way out of the house. Elena managed to keep a neutral expression, even though she was being eaten alive by her nerves. This would be the first time since the funeral that she was going to have to face the town. She knew what was coming, apologies and naive wishes for the future.

Naturally, Alaric was surprised when the four of them stepped through the front doors to the Lockwood mansion and many familiar faces were gathered inside. Alaric's face molded into pure joy. He let out a throaty laugh and Damon kissed him on the cheek. "Surprise," he whispered into Alaric's ear. The food was served buffet style. The guests lined up with paper plates outside and chose which dishes to sample. Some chose to eat inside. Some chose to eat on the grass either in front of or behind the mansion.

Elena wasn't feeling very hungry so she drifted from room to room in search of a quiet place to relax. Her journey was a blur of dialogue.

"Elena sweet heart, how are you doing?"

"Elena we're so sorry for your loss. How are you doing?"

Those comments were easy to stomach. She had been expecting them. It was when a young woman who she recognize but couldn't name rushed up to her. "Elena, you're looking good! I'm glad you're doing okay!"

Elena nodded. The woman's cheer was sickening and the fact that she was so blind made Elena dizzy with anger. She clenched her jaw and thanked the woman before rushing away. She wanted to get away from these people. She couldn't stand the falseness of their facades. How could these people even _pretend _to care about her. Most of them didn't even know her first name, they just recognized her as the daughter of the Gilberts. Some probably didn't even know the family and simply recognized her from the front page of the newspaper.

Without thinking she pulled out her phone and called Caroline.

"So, you finally came to, huh?" Caroline's voice answered.

"Yeah. Can you come pick me up?" Elena asked.

"It would be my pleasure. You haven't really missed anything. We just finished setting up."

"Great," Elena tried to sound excited.

They hung up and Elena slipped out of the house and walked briskly down the drive and stepped easily out of the open gates. She waited for Caroline on the curb. _At least I'm invisible. If I wasn't this would have been __**much **__more difficult._

What she didn't realize was that she **wasn't **invisible. Someone had seen her slip away from the party.

x~x~x~x~x

Damon was picking up discarded paper plates and plastic cups. Most of the guests had cleared out. Only a few close friends had stayed behind to help with the cleanup. Alaric suddenly approached him, "Damon have you seen Elena?"

Damon looked up and shrugged, "No, why?"

"I've looked everywhere for her and I can't find her and her phone is off."

"Oh shit. Where the hell could she have run off to?" Damon couldn't conceal the panic in his voice.

Alaric put a hand on his shoulder, "Day, she's pretty much a grown woman. She can take care of herself."

"What's wrong?" Stefan entered the room. He was carrying a loaded garbage bag.

"Have you seen Elena?" Alaric asked.

_She left hours ago…_Stefan thought. He recalled Elena sneaking from the house and speed walking down the drive. _She doesn't want to be found._

Stefan shrugged. "No. I could look for her though."

"Thanks Stefan. We'll take the cleaning up from here," Alaric said smiling.

"Can I take the car?" Stefan asked.

"Sure," Damon said. "We'll just ask Mrs. Lockwood for a ride home."

x~x~x~x~x

Elena lay on the ground, not caring about the leaves and twigs that were going to be clinging to her hair. The heat from the bonfire warmed her entire body, but she still felt empty, like her entire body was just a cavern. She took another swig from the bottle in her right hand. She couldn't even remember what type of alcohol was sloshing around in it. Caroline had run off to some other part of the woods with some football player an hour ago and she imagined that he was probably coming up on third base by now. The air was thick with the stench of burning herbs and alcohol. Buried slightly under the surface of the odor was the slight smell of puke. She closed her eyes. _I'm not happy here. I'm not happy there. Where am I supposed to be happy? When does Elena Gilbert get to be fucking happy?_

Suddenly a pair of firm arms were helping her to her feet. She felt as though she had no control over her muscles. One arm was supporting her while the other was guiding her away from the warmth of the fire.

"I have a rape whistle," she threatened, although her words slurred together so badly she wasn't even sure the meaning got across.

"Calm down Elena," a familiar voice said softly. Elena's thoughts were so scattered and so lethargic that she couldn't place the voice at all. She felt a little better, though. Trudging along under the protective arm of a pleasant stranger was a lot better than laying alone next to some bonfire and listening to the stoners blabber on.

They came to a car parked on the edge of the woods and the stranger helped Elena into the passenger's seat. He got into the car in the driver's seat and Elena recognized him at once. Stefan.

"Oh shit," she mumbled.

Stefan inserted his key into the ignition and turned it. The car came to life and he pulled off onto the road. "You don't seem happy to see me," he said.

"You're gonna tell Damon. Oh God."

"No. I won't tell him. This can be our secret," Stefan said sincerely.

Elena snorted, "Yeah. _Okay. _And what about tomorrow. How are you going to explain that to him?"

"I'll just say you need some rest. He pretty much leaves you alone anyway, right?"

"Yeah," Elena sighed. "How did you find me?"

"Well," Stefan began, "I saw you sneaking off first of all. You're sly Elena Gilbert, but not sly enough,"

Elena burst out laughing and Stefan smirked at her, "I think you're forgetting that I used to live in this town. I used to party in the woods with my friends all the time."

"I didn't realize they had parties _in the stone age_," Elena burst out in a fit of drunken laugher.

Stefan laughed along politely, "I'm not _that _old okay," he said

They sat in silence for the rest of the ride. When Stefan pulled into the driveway at home he turned off the car and turned to Elena. "Elena, you're not okay. You may say you are, but it's obvious you're not."

Elena rolled her eyes, "I'm fine, really."

"Don't expect me to believe that."

"Why do you _care_?" she asked, throwing open the car door and getting out.

Stefan got out as well, "I'll tell you about it some other time Elena."

**Sorry for taking a while to update this time. I just have had a lot on my plate lately. Hope you liked it :D**

**Thank you so much for following this story and leaving lovely reviews and such. It really means a lot to me**


	7. Chapter 7

**Trigger warning: Suicide/self-harm**

Damon flipped the pancake lying in the frying pan onto a plate. He had woken up especially early to prepare breakfast for Elena. He still felt guilty for not noticing her leave the party. He wanted to make it up to her. Alaric entered the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Damon's waist and buried his face into Damon's neck.

"Why are you up so early, Darling?" he mumbled into Damon's neck.

"Elena's not going to reach out to us, Ric. She made it obvious last night. She thinks she can take care of herself," Damon said placing the plate on a tray next to a glass of orange juice and some utensils. "I'm going to show her that she doesn't have to. That we're here for her. Y'know?"

Alaric couldn't help but smile, "Aw, look who's being a softie. You know, it's going to take some time for her to warm up to us."

"Yeah, I know. Go take this up to her," Damon released himself from Alaric's grip and handed the tray to him.

"Say please," Alaric taunted.

"Please," Damon said with blatantly fake sweetness.

Alaric shrugged, "Close enough." He grabbed the tray and left to deliver it to Elena. He climbed the stairs carefully and walked to the door of her room. He knocked a few times.

"Come in," a weak voice said from inside and he let himself in.

Elena's head was throbbing and her stomach was churning uncomfortably. She propped herself up and smiled weakly at Alaric. "I hope I didn't wake you," he said softly placing the tray on her nightstand.

"No, don't worry about it. What's this?" She asked groggily.

"Breakfast," Alaric said brightly. She turned and selected the glass of orange juice and took a sip.

"Elena, we were really worried about you last night. Stefan said you weren't feeling well, are you feeling better today? Do you need to go to the doctor's?"

Elena shook her head, "Really Alaric, I'm fine. Just a little bug." _He's genuinely concerned, _she thought smiling weakly.

They sat in silence for a few moments before Alaric asked, "Do you need anything?"

"Maybe an aspirin. I have a huge headache," Elena said quietly.

Alaric nodded and left the room and returned a few minutes later with a small white tablet. Elena thanked him and swallowed it with the help of a large gulp of orange juice.

"Do you need anything else?" Alaric asked. Elena shook her head. "Damon and I are going to be home all day. We'll be up to check on you from time to time, but if you need anything just holler, okay?"

Elena smiled, "Thanks, Alaric," she said and she was _actually _grateful.

Alaric returned her smile, "Don't mention it. Get some rest." He got up and left the room, closing her door behind him. Elena sunk back into her pillows and tried to stomach some of the pancakes. She hadn't realized how hungry she had been.

x~x~x~x~x~x

_"Are you okay, Brother?" I asked cautiously. Damon hadn't left his room all weekend and I was beginning to worry about him. I stood outside his door, slumped against the door._

_"I'm fine Stefan, go away," came his reply._

_"No, Damon," I said firmly, "I haven't seen you all weekend. Come on out, let's go do something today."_

_The door opened and Damon was standing there. His dark hair was awry and greasy. There were large dark circles under his eyes which seemed to lack their usual vibrancy._

_"Woah, are you okay, Damon?" I asked, slightly taken aback._

_"I'm __**fine, **__Stefan. I'd be a hell of a lot better if you would leave me the fuck alone."_

_"Damon, seriously, I'm supposed to look out for you. Are you sure you're okay?" I was really worried._

_"Stefan, I'm older than you. I don't need your God damn protection." With that he slammed the door in my face._

Stefan rolled over in his sleep, his eyes darting from left to right beneath their lids. A small sheen of sweat broke out over his forehead.

_"Damon?" I called up the stairs. I had left before him to go to school and I hadn't seen him all day. I climbed the stairs, "Damon, come on. Why the hell did you skip school?" I tried the doorknob on the door to his room. It turned with surprising ease. I pushed the door open into the empty room. "Damon?" I called again. I heard a soft noise coming from the bathroom down the hall. It was caught halfway between a whimper and a groan._

_I rushed toward the bathroom. The door was ajar and I pushed it aside. Damon was sitting with his back against the wall. Blood was seeping from deep cuts all along his wrists. He looked up and those green eyes held mine prisoner. The light was fading from them and a silent plea echoed in their depths. I ran to my parent's room and used the phone there to call for help._

_I returned to the bathroom and took both of Damon's hands in my own._

_"Damon. Please. You're going to be okay. Just please hold on," My voice was cracking._

Stefan's eyes snapped open. He was covered in a thin layer of sweat but chills shot through his body. That afternoon was so sunny and beautiful, yet it was his darkest hour. He had almost lost the one person that he had always sworn to look after. He rolled over onto his back and crossed his arms over his chest. _I need to do a few things, _he thought to himself. _First, I'm going to make sure Elena's okay. God forbid Alaric, Damon, or I come home one day to find her bleeding out on the bathroom floor. Second, I'm going to make things right with Damon. He's my brother. We both have a ton of baggage, but we'll always be blood related. Third, is going to be the hardest. I'm going to make the phone call to father. The one I've been dreading._

Stefan rolled over and went to the bathroom to wash his face. He then decided to check in on Elena.

Elena was lying down and letting the headache rage inside her skull like a tropical storm. There was a quiet knock at her door. "Come in," she said.

Stefan poked his head inside and grinned, "Hey you're alive," he said. He meandered into her room and sat down at the foot of your bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I've had better mornings," Elena admitted, "Thanks for covering, by the way. I'd hate to ruin Alaric's birthday with…well with what I did."

"Don't worry about it," he responded, smiling reassuringly. "We've all done stupid things," He recalled the words that spewed from Elena's drunken mouth and managed to suppress a laugh.

They sat in silence for a while. Elena preoccupied herself with a loose string on the bottom hem of her camisole. Finally she asked, "Why?"

Stefan looked at her, "Why what?"

"Why are you caring?"

Stefan inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. "Wow, that was really nosy. I'm so sorry." Elena said.

"No, don't worry about it. Um, well. I almost lost someone very close to me and that really scared the shit out of me. I guess it was just really scary because there were signs, y'know. I just…couldn't see them. Or maybe I didn't want to see them. I don't know. I just want to know that you're okay. I just want to know that you're not going to do anything stupid,"

Elena was silent. She scanned Stefan's face and noticed the obvious pain that was buried there. She shook her head, "Stefan, I'd never do that to Alaric or Damon or anyone else who cares about me," she said, "It's just really hard because every day, I wake up and I miss them. I don't have a father or a mother anymore and nobody cares. I mean, they pretend to care. They don't care _enough. _I can't heal and get over what's happened because nobody cares _enough. _It really sucks because I want to connect more with Damon and Alaric because I can tell that they really want us all to be a family. I just… I just can't. I'm afraid that I'm going to rely on them and they'll be just like everyone else and not care _enough."_

"They do care about you Elena. They love you so much. If they didn't, they wouldn't have bothered adopting you. Yeah, you're not going to become close right from the start. They're really trying Elena, cut them a little slack, they're still getting the hang of this whole parenting thing."

Elena nodded, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Stefan shook his head, "No Elena, you know I'm right."

She smiled at him. It was her first real smile. It wasn't stunning or a kodak moment. It was a simple reassured smile and Stefan returned it with one that could have stretched from ear to ear.

"You can always come and talk to me if you want," he offered.

"Thanks," Elena said. For the first time in the months since her parents' death, Elena felt as if things might just get better.

**Hey! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Yes a lot of you were yearning for more TLC. I'm getting there. I'm getting there**


	8. Chapter 8

**(Just a heads up, it says so in the story but just in case you miss it, this chapter takes place a week after the last chapter. If that makes any sense)**

Damon was curled up on the couch with a laptop on his lap and a mug of Oolong tea in his hands. He had just gotten an email from Mayor Lockwood asking him for event ideas. Obviously, the woman was not satisfied with annual founder's parties and the occasional fundraiser. In all honesty, Damon was exhausted from planning Alaric's birthday event last week. So far his only stroke of genius was a lantern floating festival. Each person could pay a five dollars for a lantern and at eight o'clock everyone would let their lanterns free. Damon smiled at the mental image of a hundred lanterns floating lazily into the autumn night. He heard someone enter the living room and he looked up. Stefan smiled weakly at him and took a seat on the sofa next to him. "I think I have a little apologizing to do,"

Damon shook his head and moved the laptop to the coffee table so that he could scoot closer to Stefan. "Stefan, don't be stupid," Damon said and Stefan let out a short laugh, "That whole, disagreement we had over you and college and dad. Forget about it. You know how I can get," Damon's eyes were locked on Stefan's and he could clearly make out the pain hidden behind the irises. He pulled his brother into a one-armed hug. "Oh Jesus. There's no need to get emotional now," Damon laughed.

"I've always been there for you, brother," Stefan said quietly, "And I always will be. But, right now, I need you to be here for me."

Damon nodded, "You're finally going to call dad then, I'm assuming."

Stefan smiled weakly, "You guessed it."

"I'm here. You can put it on speaker phone. I won't say a word unless you need me to."

Stefan pulled his cellphone out of his jeans pocket and began to dial. The phone rang twice before a gruff voice answered, "Hello?"

Stefan took a deep breath before responding, "Hey dad, it's Stef."

Instantly the voice on the other line brightened, "Stefan! How's football season treatin' you?"

Stefan swallowed, he was unsure of how to continue. He looked up at Damon who put a hand on his shoulder and nodded. "Dad, there's no more football."

"What?" their father's voice was clearly angry, "Did you get kicked off the team? Why? Do I need to make a phone call?"

"No, dad. Stop. I dropped out of Penn State."

"What the hell do you mean, _you dropped out of Penn State._ What are you thinking? You get your ass back to that school and-"

"NO Dad. I don't want to go back," Stefan was shouting now.

"Well, whoopdie fucking doo. Now what are you gonna do, huh? Marry some rich faggot like your brother?"

Damon felt ice creeping up from his bowels into his chest. _Some things never change._

"SHUT UP," Stefan shouted, "What Damon does with his life is HIS business. YOU have no right to tell him what to do and you have no right to tell ME what to do. I'm going to finally do what I want to do and there's nothing you can do to stop me." Stefan hung up and threw his phone into an armchair opposite the sofa.

Both brothers sat in silence for a while before Damon said, "Hey, Stefan, thanks-"

"Don't worry about it," Stefan mumbled.

"Don't let him get you down, alright? You have so many opportunities now. You can be a lot happier."

Stefan's hands were shaking and he clasped them together to hide it. Damon noticed and put an arm around Stefan's shoulders. Stefan broke down. He couldn't stop the tears from leaking and the sobs from retching. Damon sat there and tried to comfort him as Stefan wept.

x~x~x~x~x~x

"So, what's the occasion?" Elena asked opening the menu. She was surprised that Alaric had suggested grabbing lunch together. He and Damon had been extremely caring since the fiasco last weekend. _Mental note: Never get drunk while utterly depressed._

"Do we really need an occasion to grab a bite to eat?" Alaric responded. "Should I get the chicken parmesan or the pasta salad?"

"Chicken. Damon wouldn't be too happy if you broke your little diet thing,"

Alaric nodded, "True."

They placed their orders. Elena realized that she had no idea what to talk about with Alaric. They lived in the same house, but other than that…

"Elena, this is going to sound extremely forward and, I apologize, but are you okay?" Alaric asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, why?" Elena said taking a sip of water.

Alaric looked down and began tearing little pieces from his napkin. "It's just that, losing a parent is hard. Losing both is, well I can't imagine how that must feel."

Elena nodded slowly before truly processing what Alaric had just said. _Losing a parent is hard…_

"Did you lose one of your parents?" she asked quietly.

"My mom," Alaric said. He didn't look up at her.

"Wow, I had no idea. I'm so sorry," Elena said.

Alaric shook his head, "It's okay. I wasn't _really _close to her. She was a quiet woman, easy to overlook and, well, take for granted. She would leave little notes in my lunchbox when I was in grade school. She left one or two in my backpack during high school. Just, you know, when I was having a rough week. She was always the one to remind me that everything was going to be okay. I never realized how much I needed that until she wasn't there anymore."

Elena could feel the tears building up behind her eyes, "Yeah. I know what you mean."

"I'm not telling you this story expecting that you'll magically open up to me. I just want you to know that I understand and Damon, hell Damon's been through the worst shit imaginable, he understands everything. You can talk to us Elena. You've been quiet for a really long time. It's okay for you to speak."

Elena smiled a true, genuine smile. She could tell that this wasn't some feeble attempt at getting her to open up. This wasn't a half-assed attempt at trying to care. This was pure concern. She boldly reached across the table and took Alaric's hands in her own. He looked up at her, his eyes were bloodshot, proof of the tears he had been holding back. "Thank you," she said quietly.

The waiter brought their dishes to their table and left. Alaric sniffed and wiped his eyes with a napkin. "Good thing it's not rush hour right now, I have a macho reputation to keep up,"

"Alaric, there are forest creatures who are more macho than you," Elena teased, digging into her food.

Alaric scoffed, "Yeah, bears."

They both laughed. With their laughter came a warm relief. It settled on them like a quilt, it kept out all the unwanted negativity, and allowed them to enjoy their father-daughter lunch in peace.

**Yay, finally introducing some paternal comfort into this story. I didn't think Elena could truly open up or feel comfortable at first with both Damon and Alaric around. SO while Alaric was busy bonding with Elena, Stefan and Damon were busy confronting Daddy-dearest and building their epic BROTHER BOND!**

**Hope you liked it :**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Another chapter! Sorry for the tardiness in posting. I've been REALLY busy lately.**_

_I'm feeling brave today. Braver than I have felt in a while. Alaric really made me realize how completely wrong I was before. I'm not alone in any of this. I have two loving…God fathers I guess would be their appropriate title. Everything may not be as bad as I thought._

A light afternoon breeze sailed through Elena's open window and she basked in the fading autumn light. The smell of pasta was lazily drifting through her open door and her stomach growled. Elena's appetite had picked up ever since Alaric had started to cook again. If he wasn't so interested in teaching history, he would have made a pretty decent chef.

Stefan wandered into the kitchen, drawn by the delicious smell. "Hey Alaric, what's cooking?" he asked amicably.

Alaric was standing at the stove stirring a pot, "Just some pasta," he replied.

"Need any help?" Stefan asked casually.

Alaric shrugged, "Sure. I always try to get Damon to help out, but we both know how lazy he can be."

Stefan grinned, "Well I'm more than willing. What can I do?"

"Just help me strain the noodles, maybe dice some garlic."

Damon was lying on the couch in the living room. His laptop was in his lap, and a google search for: interesting ideas for an event, was the dominant window on the screen. He didn't notice Elena enter the room until she spoke, "Hey, um, Damon. Can I talk to you?"

Damon looked up, smiled, and shut the lid of his laptop. He scooted over and allowed enough room on the couch next to him for Elena to sit down. She smiled weakly and sat. At first she had no idea how to even begin. She remembered Stefan's story about almost losing someone he _really _cared about. _Who else could it be? Who else would Stefan __**really **__care about other than Damon?_

"Elena, you don't have to force yourself to open up to me," Damon said knowingly.

"No. I want to," she replied quietly. _Alaric __**said **__she could talk to them about anything. Well, here goes. _"Have you ever felt loss? Well, like, death I guess would be a better word."

_"Damon are you still awake?" a soft voice intermingled with the night breeze that flowed through my window._

_"Yes, Nammy," I whispered. I couldn't remember why Stefan and I called grandma 'Nammy'. We had been calling her that since before we could remember. I was quiet so as to not to wake Stefan who was slumbering on the bunk above. We had wrestled for the top bunk earlier. Naturally, I had lost._

_The old woman walked over to where I was lying down and sat beside the bunk. "It's really late, hon. What are you doing up?" she asked quietly._

_"I'm scared Nammy." my voice shook a bit._

_"Damon, whatever are you scared of?" she asked stroking my forehead gently with her old, wizened fingers._

_"Well, the dark I guess. Monsters under the bed."_

_"Hunny, there aren't any monsters in my house. They're all scared of me, don't you know?"_

_Damon stifled a giggle, and in the dark Nammy smiled down at him. He looked so much like his father did at this age. Only, Damon was softer. He was more vulnerable._

_"Pretend, this bunk is a cave," she whispered. "Whenever you're inside this cave, nothing bad can touch you. You are save in this cave."_

_Damon smiled, he instantly felt better._

"I have," he said quietly.

"Did it feel like, no one really understood what you going through. Like they only pretended to care?" Elena asked.

"Of course," Damon replied. "How can anyone _really _feel your loss. We can only relate to each other. We can only _try _to comfort each other and pull each other from the darkness that is loss. Does that make sense?"

Elena nodded, "I guess."

"We can't let our losses haunt us forever, Elena. The people who _truly _love us will try to understand, sure. But they will also try to make us feel better so that we aren't wallowing in our pain forever," Damon explained.

"Wow," Elena breathed, "I guess I didn't really think of it like that…This whole time I felt like no one _really _cared about me. I know that sounds silly now, but… that's just how I felt. Even you and Alaric, but I can see that you two are just looking out for me. So, thanks."

"Elena, don't worry about it. Alaric and I really care about you. This whole time, we've kind of just been a little unsure on how to show it. But, we're here for you, okay?"

Elena nodded.

"Elena, trust me," Damon said putting a hand on either of her shoulders, "Right now, everything seems really…shitty for lack of a more graceful word. Believe _me _when I say that it won't be shitty forever. Things _will _get better Elena. I know it's so cheesy to say, but it's true."

There was a familiar rush in her chest and stinging at the corners of her eyes. Her vision became watery and Damon pulled her into a hug. Then, Elena let the tears flow freely, just as she had that day at the cemetery. She wept until her breath was heavy and jagged. She wept until redness seeped from her irises into the rest of her eyes. All the while, Damon patted her back and quietly assured her that she was okay, that everything was going to be okay.

x~x~x~x~x

Stefan sat in the dimly lit study. He was feeling lazy and could feel himself slipping into a content food coma. _Man, Alaric sure knows how to cook, _he thought. The walls of the study were lined with bookshelves that oozed novels, encyclopedias, and reference books. The light from the desktop computer illuminated his face and his scrolled through the website in front of him.

**Mystic Falls Community College **was the header of the page.

_"Ah, Salvatore. What can I do for you?" the dean asked sitting forward in his chair. I took a seat opposite him. _

_We looked at each other over the oak desk for a moment before I said, "Sir, I was wondering if I could change my major."_

_The dean nodded and turned to the computer on his desk. He shuffled the mouse around on the mousepad until the computer awoke from sleep. He typed a few things in, and finally pulled up my file._

_"I wouldn't want to major in accounting either," the dean laughed._

_I managed to smile, "Yeah, it isn't the most lively career choice."_

_"What major were you thinking of switching to? I can see if you have any of the prerequisites. If you don't, well, I guess it would take you a little extra longer to graduate. Is that okay?"_

_I nodded. "I was wondering if there was a culinary degree option."_

_The dean frowned and opened one of his desk drawers. He pulled out a thick three ring binder and began to flip through it. The more pages that were flipped, the more the dean frowned. "I'm sorry Stefan but Penn State does not offer any form of culinary majors."_

_I felt my heart sank. "Oh," I managed to say._

_"Yes, I'm truly sorry Mr. Salvatore. How about something more practical. You have a lot of math and science credits already completed. How about looking into some form of engineering?"_

_"No thank you," I said politely. "Thanks for your time." I stood up and left the office without hearing any more of what the dean had to say._

_As I walked down the hall, all I could think about were the Sunday nights spent cooking dinner with my mother and brother. I used to look forward to Sundays for that very reason. There was something almost magical about taking the most basic form of edible substances and turning them into something grand and delicious. I stuffed my hands into my pockets. It was at that moment that I had made up my mind._

_I'm going to leave this campus. I'm never going to come back._

Stefan scrolled down the page and his heart beat faster as his eyes scanned the list of majors that were presented alphabetically.

**C**

_Culinary, culinary, culinary. CULINARY._

Stefan's heart skipped a beat. Mystic Falls Community College indeed offered the course he was looking for. Stefan couldn't help but smile. He was finally, going to be able to follow _his _dreams. _Not the ones my father planned for me._

**Hope you enjoyed it :D**

**(OMFG if any of you lovely readers have seen the new episode PM me and we can weep together.**


	10. Chapter 10

Alaric awoke to the sensation of soft kisses trailing down the side of his neck. "Damon?" he mumbled groggily.

"Rise and shine," Damon whispered in his ear.

Alaric rolled over and wrapped his arms around Damon. He put his head on his lover's chest and was almost lulled back to sleep by his heart beat. "Nope. You have to wake up," Damon said, attempting to wriggle free from Alaric's grip.

"No I don't," Alaric laughed. He pressed his lips against Damon's, who immediately reacted to the kiss. Alaric wrapped a leg around Damon's waist and wrapped his fingers into the hair at the back of Damon's head. He pulled him closer and deepened the kiss.

Their lips moved against each other's and Damon's tongue slipped into Alaric's mouth and danced lazily about the top of Alaric's. Alaric's moan was muffled by the kiss and he in turn messaged the underside of Damon's tongue.

Damon pulled back, "Save this for later," he whispered.

Alaric shook his head in protest.

"No. You have to get up and get ready, Darling. I'll be here when you get back," Damon winked.

"God, sometimes, you're such a tease," Alaric groaned. He sat up and swung his legs over the opposite side of the bed and trudged to the bathroom to get ready.

Elena's alarm interrupted her dreamless sleep. She rolled over and turned it off. She sat up and stretched her still-sleeping muscles. As she got up to go the the bathroom, she stopped suddenly. _I woke up with my alarm. I got a full night's sleep._

_I feel…okay._

She managed to smile to herself. It was true, for the first time in a long time, she awoke without the dreadful feeling of not being able to face the world.

Stefan awoke to the smell of breakfast cooking. He rolled over and groaned. At first he cursed himself for waking up so early, then he recalled yesterday's events.

_"Mr. Salvatore, it's a little bit late to be applying for classes," the faux sweet school official said._

_I gripped my phone a little tighter and tried not to lose my temper. "But ma'am, I'm not interested in an academic course. I'm more interested in your extra curricular majors. Something in the culinary department, to be exact."_

_"Oh," she said blankly. There was a pause and I could hear the distinct clatter of fingers on a keyboard on the other end. "Well, I could fax over the application. You can fill it on out and fax it back. I'm sure you haven't missed much. Take care."_

_We politely said goodbye and I hurried over to the study. A small stack of papers was accumulating in the output of the fax machine. I couldn't help but grin. This was really happening._

Stefan showered quickly, pulled on some clean clothes, and headed downstairs. The rest of the household was gathered at the kitchen table and they were chattering softly. Stefan took a seat in between Alaric and Elena. He helped himself to a plate of sausage, eggs, and toast.

"Why are you up so early?" Elena asked.

Stefan swallowed before answering, "I actually have to go to some classes today."

"Oh, at the community college?" Elena inquired further.

"Yup."

"So they let you apply late? That's great. What are you studying?" Damon asked.

"I'm taking some culinary classes," Stefan grinned.

Damon smirked.

_"How much salt do I add, Mama?" Stefan inquired. He looked up at her with his soft sunbaked eyes. He could barely see over the kitchen counter, but he looked so thrilled to be helping mother cook._

_I sat on the floor mixing batter for the dinner rolls in a glass bowl. It was such a chore. I showed mama the contents of the bowl again._

_"They're a little lumpy, Sweetheart," she said sweetly. "Just mix them a little more."_

_Who cares if the rolls are a little lumpy? I don't see how Stefan could __**enjoy **__something as tedious as this. _

_Stefan noticed that my patience and attention span were running low. "Here Damon. I can finish mushing the rolls," he offered._

_"Thanks, Stefan," I replied. I got up and fled the room._

_"_Good for you, brother," Damon said.

When they were finished, Damon cleared away the dirty dishes and piled them into the dish washer. "How about we car pool," Alaric suggested.

"Sounds good," Stefan said and Elena nodded in agreement. It beat walking to school.

Alaric and Stefan got up to fetch their things. Elena was ready to leave the room when Damon stopped her.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked.

"I think so," Elena said reassuringly.

"Okay," Damon said, pulling her into a paternal hug. Elena returned it gratefully.

"If I need anything, I know you and Alaric are just a phone call away," she said quietly.

Damon nodded, "Have a good day at school, okay."

"Alright," Elena said, pulling away from him and going to collect her backpack.

x~x~x~x~x

"Where's Alaric?" Stefan asked checking his watch.

"Dunno," Elena replied. They were both sitting in the car waiting for their driver to make his appearance. The silence loomed between him and Elena decided to break it.

"Did you drop out of Penn because you wanted to study cooking?" she asked.

Stefan nodded, "Yeah, I've been interested in it for a while and my other major was not _quite _as interesting. I'm not sure I'm making the best decision, though."

"Don't worry about it. If it's what you really want then, I'm sure it will work out," Elena said.

Stefan turned to smile at her. "Thanks," he said. For some reason, he felt a little bit more confident.

x~x~x~x~x

Alaric searched frantically about the master bedroom. _It has to be in here somewhere._

"Looking for this?" a sly voice said from the doorway.

Alaric turned. Damon was standing there holding out the item in question. Alaric's brief case. Alaric sighed, "Thanks Day, you're a life saver."

Damon handed him the case and gave Alaric a quick peck on the cheek. Alaric rushed downstairs and got into the car.

x~x~x~x~x

Alaric and Elena sat in the car for a moment. They were parked in front of Mystic Falls High. Stefan had been dropped off at Mystic Falls CC only minutes before. Elena felt a little unsure about leaving the car. She had been feeling so good, so ready, until this moment. Alaric looked into the rear view mirror. "Elena," he said.

"Yeah?" she responded, looking out the window at the horde of people gathering on the lawns in front of the school.

"It's going to be okay," he said softly.

Elena nodded, "I know."

_I'm not alone, _She told her self. _I can do this. _She opened the car door and stepped out into the chilly autumn morning.

x~x~x~x~x~x

Damon pulled into the Lockwood driveway and killed the engine. He reached into the passenger seat and grabbed his computer bag before leaving the car. He stuffed his hands into his pockets as he approached the Lockwood mansion. The days were getting colder and he cursed himself for not grabbing his coat on the way out of the house.

He rang the doorbell and waited. The door opened slowly, revealing Mr. Lockwood. Mr. Lockwood managed to smile shakily, "Hello Damon, good to see you," he said.

Damon returned his smile, "Hello, Mr. Lockwood. I'm here to see Carol"

"Come right in," his host said and led him to a small parlor that opened off the side of the entrance hall. Damon took a seat in one of the antique, but rather comfortable arm chairs. "Is there anything I can get you?" Mr. Lockwood said. His friendliness could have passed as genuine if he wasn't eyeing Damon in the same way you look at an almost extinct animal.

Damon shook his head, "No thank you," he said.

"Carol shall be with you shortly," Mr. Lockwood said. He turned and left the room.

_Good ole Mr. Lockwood, _Damon thought. _So conservative. At least he's not one of those people waving "FAGS GO TO HELL" signs on street corners._

A few minutes later Mrs. Lockwood entered the room and beamed at Damon. "Damon, Darling, how are you?" she asked.

"I'm fine Carol. And yourself?" Damon replied.

"Fine, fine. Now to discuss the upcoming event. I really liked your lantern idea," she said taking a seat across from him and pulling out a pad of paper and a pen. "We could sell the lanterns for four bucks a piece. People can write special things on them, then at eight o'clock, everyone lights their lanterns and they all sail up into the evening sky."

Damon nodded, "Pretty much sums it up," he said.

"The only thing left to decide is when and where."

"How about here," Damon suggested, "Your backyard is more than large enough to accommodate everyone."

"No, no, no. The clean up is a nightmare. Plus, people get into the house, sometimes things go missing. It's dreadful," she replied.

"How about the town square?"

"Perfect!" she cried, scribbling a few things on her notepad. "Of course we'll need volunteers to make the whole thing look nice. Email the regulars. The Forbes family, the Donovans, you know. Tell them that all proceeds will benefit the Founder's Association."

"When is this event going to take place?" Damon asked.

"How about next month?"

_Great. _Damon gritted his teeth. _Just when I thought my schedule was going to be a lot more free._

"Sounds fine," he said without smiling


	11. Chapter 11

For the next few weeks everything continued in a rhythm that mimicked normalcy almost perfectly. For Elena, Damon and Alaric were becoming more and more like father figures. She found herself freely divulging details about her life to them and in response they listened, comforted her when she needed it, and offered pretty good advice. Her diary lay untouched in its hiding spot collecting dust. She didn't feel the need to keep her feelings confined to pages anymore. Now her feelings weren't like secrets that were kept in shadowy corners. Rather they were acceptable and not anything to be ashamed of.

However, Damon and Alaric were becoming exceedingly busy again. Damon, more so than Alaric. Often times he would sit up until one in the morning trying to iron out the details that were required to put together a successful event. So far he had the lanterns ordered, the permit for using the plaza as an event location, and the electricians who were responsible for stringing up lights and placing generators around the plaza.

One night, Alaric interrupted Damon's planning. Damon was sitting on the couch with the laptop in his lap, and an empty mug on the coffee table. Alaric plucked the laptop from Damon's lap and placed it on the table. "Ric, come on, I need to finish this," Damon said. His voice was tinged with irritation.

Alaric ignored him. He placed a leg on either side of Damon's waist and lowered himself onto Damon's lap. He leaned over and whispered into Damon's ear, "You've been at it all day. I think you need a break." Alaric began to kiss the tender flesh below Damon's ear.

A chill rocked down Damon's spine. "Ric, come on. Not right now."

Alaric sat up and frowned, "Why not? Damon, we haven't been spending as much time together lately. I just-"

"I know," Damon said soothingly. "Once all this is done-"

"Ok. Fine," Alaric said. He stood up and left the room. Damon felt guilty. He knew that Alaric wasn't mad at him. Alaric wasn't one to get angry over trivial things. He was disappointed which was even worse.

x~x~x~x~x~x

Stefan was woken up by the shrill ringing of his phone. He rolled over and answered it groggily.

"Stefan? It's your father."

He sat up and massaged the kink from his neck. He hadn't heard from his father since their last phone call."Hey, dad."

"Stefan, you're making a big mistake, so I decided to help you out. I drove up to Pennsylvania and met with the dean of admissions. He said that they can accept you back as long as you continue doing well academically and agree to rejoin the football team."

"Dad, I'm not making a mistake. I'm _really _happy with my decision," Stefan answered.

"Oh, well that's great," his father responded.

_He's okay with it! _Stefan could feel relief washing over him. "I knew you'd understand."

"I don't understand," his father said calmly, "I tried to help you Stefan. But if you're going to be stubborn, I won't waste my energy. I'm disappointed in you."

The phone line cut and Stefan froze for a moment. The relief was quickly retreating and he could feel the tsunami of emotions about to hit. He stood up with the intention of going to the bathroom and washing his face. Instead his body decided to act on its own. He fist made contact with the wall before he had time to react. Pain erupted in his knuckles and swore. _He was supposed to be there for me. He was supposed to be my number one fan. _Stefan thought back to all the high school football games. He could always look up into the bleachers and pick out his father's face. Now there was no one. No one on his side.

"Are you okay?"

Stefan looked up. Elena was standing in the doorway of his room. He nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine," he responded gruffly.

"I hear a noise, are you sure?" her eyes fell upon his hand. "Stefan, what happened to your hand?" Her eyes found the spot on the wall where his fist had made contact. Some of the paint had chipped away and a fissure had formed, but other than that no damage.

"Elena, don't worry about me."

"Stefan, what happened?" she asked. They made eye contact and Stefan looked away quickly. "You were there for me," Elena said quietly, "Now, I'm here for you."

There was a pause. Finally, Stefan spoke. "My dad called. He called to tell me how disappointed he is in me."

Elena put a hand on Stefan's shoulder and massaged it gently. She expected him to shrug away but he didn't. "Stefan, your father doesn't understand that this is what you _really _want. He probably just thinks it's a whim. He's as worried as you are."

Stefan shook his head, "I'm not worried, Elena."

"Yes you are. You said so a few weeks ago, and I think you're still worried now. Stefan, we make a lot of choices in our life. You know what they all have in common?" He shrugged in response and Elena continued, "We're always unsure of how they're going to affect us."

"Yeah, I guess," Stefan said.

"It's going to be okay," she said softly. "You've got me and Alaric and Damon here. We're right behind you Stefan."

Stefan managed to half-smile. _Maybe there are some people on your side. _"Thanks."

Elena smiled in return, "No problem."

Without really thinking Stefan pulled her into a hug. _This girl, who has lost so much, still has room in her heart to care for others._

He felt comforted by the soft warmth of her and she felt…safe.

x~x~x~x~x~x

Stefan felt better during the next week, but he still didn't feel like himself. He felt decent enough to do his everyday tasks, but he felt almost empty. He found his mind wandering back to the morning when his father practically disowned him. Curiously, he remembered how Elena had cared. He remembered their embrace. He remembered the warmth that seemed to spread from her heart and into his limbs.

Damon watched his brother and noticed his lackluster attitude. One morning, Elena came into the kitchen and Damon had an idea.

"Good morning, Elena," he said smiling brightly.

"Someone's cheerful," Elena said.

"I'm just really excited for the event I've been planning," Damon said casually.

"Oh right. The one with the lanterns. It sounds cool," Elena replied, opening the fridge to find something to eat. She produced a loaf of bread and a cart of orange juice.

"So you'll be going?" Damon asked.

Elena nodded, "Yeah, I guess. I mean. I have nothing better to do."

"Great. Can you drag Stefan with you?" Damon asked. His tone was still casual but his eyes were pleading.

"Yeah, sure. I'm going with Caroline and Bonnie, but he can definitely tag along."

"Great. I just really think it would be good for him to leave the house right now," Damon said. "I'm glad you're getting back out there too Elena," he added quietly.

Elena smiled, "Thanks Damon. I never thought I'd say this again, but, I'm actually pretty excited."

Damon smiled. It was great to see Elena in a genuinely good mood.

x~x~x~x~x

There was a soft knock at Stefan's door. "Come in," he said. He was scrolling through a google search for "Restaurant Job Openings". The door opened and Elena stepped into his room.

"Hey, I was just thinking, are you busy next-next weekend?" she asked.

Stefan shrugged, "Probably not, why?"

"I was thinking, maybe you wanted to go to that lantern party, event, thing that Damon's been planning?" Elena asked. She felt a black pit opening up in her stomach. She could feel it tugging at all of her courage.

Stefan thought for a moment. His first reaction was to refuse. "Sure," he said smiling. _WHY? _he cursed himself. _Because I want to spend more time with her. She makes me feel alright._

Elena smiled, "Great," she said leaving the room.

x~x~x~x~x~x

Later that night, Damon was tempted to brew a some coffee and continue his routine of late night planning. However, he truly missed Alaric. Instead of turning on the coffee maker, he turned off the lights and went upstairs. Alaric was already asleep and Damon crawled under the sheets next to him.

"Damon?" Alaric asked. "What time is it?"

"It's only eleven," Damon whispered into Alaric's ear. "I've missed you."

"Day, it's okay. You don't have to put your planning on hold for me."

"I know," Damon said simply, "I _want _to put my planning on hold for you."

He began to nibble Alaric's neck playfully. Alaric rolled over and entwined his fingers in Damon's hair and pulled their faces together. Their kiss was passionate. Their lips moved in sync. Damon's tongue traced the top of Alaric's lower lip, and Alaric shivered in response. Damon wrapped his leg around Alaric's waist and pushed his body into Alaric's.

Alaric groaned. His lips moved to Damon's jaw and down his neck. He could feel Damon's pulse quicken under his kisses. Damon let out a soft moan and Alaric lost all control.

**Hey, hope you liked the chapter. Thanks for all the reviews and constructive criticism :**


	12. Chapter 12

The weeks passed quickly and without significance. Then one evening Stefan found himself standing in front of his closet. He rarely put much thought into what he wore, everything just seemed to work out naturally. However, he found himself pulling various shirts and jeans from the rack in front of him and examining them against his gently muscled frame before putting them back with frustration.

_Is this how women feel every day? _he wondered. He bit his lower lip. Tonight was the big event, and he was going to be spending it with Elena. He found himself watching her doing the simplest of chores. He liked to se the way her facial expression would shift, or the way her hair fell around her shoulders. Naturally she didn't notice anything, and Stefan couldn't help but feel a little bit creepy.

He gave up. He pulled his nicest collared shirt from its hanger and matched it with a simple pair of jeans.

"Stefan, are you ready?" he heard Alaric calling from downstairs.

"Yeah, in a minute," he replied loudly.

He pulled a comb through his hair a few times and rushed downstairs.

The car ride was quiet. Alaric was in the driver's seat and he was preoccupied with the traffic. It seemed that everyone in town had left their houses at the same time to drive to the event.

Stefan took the opportunity to glance over at Elena. She had pulled her hair up and he could tell that she had curled it for the occasion. The deep purple dress she was wearing hugged her petite figure perfectly. The length was short enough to be appealing but long enough to keep him guessing.

Alaric dropped them off in front of the plaza and drove off in search of parking. The two stood there awkwardly for a moment before Elena spotted Bonnie and Caroline in the crowd.

"Come on, I'll introduce you," she said to Stefan.

Stefan smiled. He followed her through the mass of people. At first he was unsure about whether or not her friends would like him. As soon as they got close enough those doubts vanished. Both girls beamed at him and Elena and they came over. They began to converse immediately, talking in loud, animated voices.

Stefan caught bits of news about people from school. Some football player showed up alone and this had caught Caroline's attention. She was debating whether or not she should move in. It was Bonnie who finally decided to rope Stefan into the conversation, "You graduated a few years ago, right?" she asked.

Stefan nodded. "Ooh, where are you going to college?" Caroline followed up.

"Uh, well, I _was _at Penn state for a while. Good academics. Goods sports program. Not my thing. I came back to take some classes at MFCC," he replied.

"Oh, that's cool," Caroline said. She began to tell some mildly related story about a senior she knew that went to the community college and asked if Stefan knew him. Stefan, of course, had never heard the kid's name before.

His stomach growled, pleading for him to fill it with something delicious. "I'm going to go grab something to eat. Does anyone want anything?" his eyes scanned the small group, but they lingered on Elena.

They all declined his offer and he stalked away into the crowd in search of the catering tables.

"Wow," Caroline said. "Why do you get all the good ones?"

"What?" Elena asked, clearly confused.

"So, you and Stefan aren't a couple yet?" Bonnie asked.

"No, we're just friends," Elena clarified, "And what do you mean _yet?"_

"It's just the way he looks at you," Bonnie replied.

"How does he look at me?"

"Let's just say that friends don't look at _friends _like that," Caroline replied, smirking.

x~x~x~x~x~x

Damon slumped into a fold up chair. He finally had time to rest his feet. He had been running around since noon, putting last minute touches on things, and ironing out little details. It had been a nightmare to coordinate such a large event with the local catering company and the whole thing almost flopped. In the end, everything worked out, and now Damon had time to calm down and enjoy the event.

He took a sip of punch from the plastic cup he was holding. He looked up and saw Alaric making his way through the crowd. The sun was beginning to set and the orange glow accented Alaric's defined facial structure perfectly. He took a seat next to Damon and put an arm around his shoulder. Damon rested against the comforting warmth of Alaric's side. "Sometimes I wonder how you do it," Alaric said quietly.

"Yeah, me too," Damon laughed taking another sip of punch. They watched people form groups, chatter in lively voices, the dissipate. It was like being in the eye of a hurricane. People swirled around them, but Damon and Alaric were surrounded by tranquility.

"We should take a vacation," Alaric suggested.

Damon smiled, "Where would you like to go?"

"Someplace warm. Someplace tropical," Alaric said wistfully.

"I'll take you, Ric," Damon said, finding Alaric's hand and squeezing it in his own.

Alaric rested his head on top of Damon's. His mind drifted away to rest on the warm sand of some distant tropical island.

x~x~x~x~x~x

The hour approached eight and everyone herded into the middle of the square. Many of them were carrying their paper lanterns and lighters. Some of them had scribbled messages on the side of their lanterns.

Elena searched for Bonnie and Caroline but the mass of people was too dense. She was gripping Stefan's arm, in fear that he would be carried away by the human current. Finally, she gave up. She assisted Stefan in lighting the lantern and they held it at the ready.

"So, are we supposed to wish for something when we let this thing go?" Elena asked uncertainly.

Stefan shrugged, "We could if you want."

x~x~x~x~x~x

_Three. Two. One._

The lanterns sailed above the crowd. Their glow illuminated the faces below. They faded away into the inky sky, until they blended in with the blanket of stars. Everyone was silent for a moment, then the crowd began to trickle away. At first only a few individuals left the mass. Then groups of people began to leave. Until finally, the mass had melted away.

"What did you wish for?" Elena asked. She and Stefan were walking arm in arm in search of Alaric and Damon.

"I can't tell you. It won't come true," Stefan replied, grinning down at her.

"Fine," Elena said in a faux flustered voice.

They both laughed and almost simultaneously realized the same thing. They were happy. Their minds hadn't dwelled on the dark parts of their lives for the entire evening. It was as if Stefan and his father still shared a healthy bond. It was as if Elena was going to open the front door and be greeted by her parents.

_It's like being…normal again, _Elena thought.

**Yup. The building of the Stefan and Elena relationship begins. Never fear, Damon and Alaric aren't just going to disappear. They're still going to be father figures**


	13. Chapter 13

The temperature was beginning to dip and the leaves were coating the ground instead of hanging from trees. Elena was sitting cross-legged on her bed with her diary in her lap. She was biting the end of her pen, unsure of what to write. She found that keeping a diary was useful for documenting negative thoughts. Now, however, she had nothing to document. She was completely content. She had Damon and Alaric who were like her back bone. When things got a little too rough, they were there to support her.

Just last week she was feeling incredibly over whelmed. Alaric had sat her down, brewed her a mug of tea, and listened to her vent. The week before Damon had allowed her to skip school for the day simply because she awoke with the feeling that she couldn't face the day.

_"I just feel so…weak," Elena mumbled. She was sitting at the kitchen table with her face resting in her hands. Her head was throbbing and she felt suddenly uncomfortable in her own skin. She had woken up with the weight of guilt on her chest and she felt too ugly to leave the house._

_Damon sat next to her and wrapped a warm arm around her shoulders. "Elena," he said quietly, "grief doesn't have an expiration date. You're allowed to hurt for as long as you need to. We're all here for you." Elena nodded. She knew that Damon was right, and she was grateful for his comforting presence. "How about you just take the day off?"_

_Elena thought about it. She really did not feel like she was in any state to be leaving the house. She agreed quietly and retreated to her room._

Elena tapped her chin with the end of her pen, hoping for a last minute revelation. When nothing came to her, she closed her diary quietly and returned it to her hiding place.

x~x~x~x~x~x

"Don't forget _these, _Ric," Damon teased holding up a colorful speedo he had found at the bottom of Ric's underwear drawer.

"Cut it out Day," Ric rolled his eyes. He didn't have time to be annoyed with his lover. They were going on their first vacation in a long time and Ric was uncontrollably excited. He sorted through the clothes he was going to take. The last time he had been to Florida was in the late eighties.

He felt Damon's arms around his waist and Damon's head against his back. "Damon, I'm trying to pack," Alaric complained with faux irritation.

Damon saw right through him and placed a kiss just below his ear. "Do you think you could take a break?" he whispered into the soft skin that lay there.

A shiver rolled up Alaric's spine and he turned around, placed his hands on Damon's waist and pulled him closer. Damon wasn't taken by surprise at all. In an instant, his fingers were running through Alaric's hair and their lips were pressed together. Damon's tongue trailed lazily across Alaric's lower lip, and he could feel his lips parting in response. Damon's tongue slid in effortlessly and explored Alaric's mouth.

Damon's hand began to wander down Alaric's stomach. His finger tips trailed over the top of Alaric's jeans. Alaric wrapped a gentle hand over Damon's wrist. He broke away from the kiss and leaned forward to whisper into Damon's ear. "Save it for the vacation."

Damon groaned. "Do you _really _have to ruin all the fun?"

Alaric laughed softly, released his lover's wrist, and returned to his packing.

x~x~x~x~x~x

It was the day of the departure and the entire house was in a frenzy. Baggage was being hauled out to the car. Goodbyes were being exchanged. Emergency telephone numbers were being hastily scribbled down onto notepads and then hung on the fridge.

_"Damon, is that really necessary? I'm pretty sure Elena knows who to call if something goes wrong. She doesn't need a baby sitter," Stefan teased, leaning against the kitchen counter and watching his brother scribble._

_"Stefan, honestly, it's better to be safe than sorry," Damon said irritably._

_Stefan smirked, "She's going to be fine, Damon. You and Alaric can enjoy your vacation."_

_"If I come home and Elena's not in the same condition that we left her in-"_

_"Damon. Relax. She's old enough to take care of herself, and besides, I'll be here to make sure nothing terrible happens," Stefan said reassuringly._

"Elena are you going to be okay?" Alaric asked. He and Elena were standing at the front door waiting for Damon.

"Yeah, of course," Elena said smiling.

"You know if you ever need us, you have our phone numbers. Don't worry about interrupting anything," Alaric said.

"Yeah of course," Elena replied, "Thanks for being there for me, Alaric. You and Damon are really, really great." Elena could feel herself choking up.

Alaric smiled knowingly and pulled her into a hug, "Elena, we're not going away forever. We'll be back before Christmas."

Elena nodded into his chest. Suddenly she felt another pair of arms wrapping around her. She looked up slightly to see Damon joining in on the hug. She couldn't help but laugh and all of a sudden her negative feelings evaporated. She tried to wriggle free but her surrogate father's resisted. The hug only stopped when they were all laughing and unable to hold on to each other.

Damon and Alaric got into the car and pulled out of the driveway. Elena stood at the front door and waved at them until the car disappeared around the corner. She shut the front door and turned around and came face to face with Stefan.

_Oh right, _she remembered, _we're going to be home alone._

x~x~x~x~x~x~x

That night the wind ripped around the house and it had begun to rain heavily. Elena and Stefan were huddled on the couch, eating greasy, buttered popcorn, and watching a cheesy holiday 'classic' that was illuminated on the television shared a rather large Afgan, but there was a considerable distance between them on the couch.

About halfway through the movie, a considerable gust of wind knocked a tree branch into the living room window. Thankfully the glass didn't shatter, but the noise was enough to startle both Stefan and Elena. The former gave a shrill scream.

Stefan chuckled and Elena suddenly felt embarrassed. "You were definitely scared too," she argued, laughing.

Stefan shrugged, "Whatever you say, Elena."

She was a little bit tense after that, and she blamed it on the lingering adrenaline. She was thankful that Stefan was there. If she had been home alone, she would have been much more on watched for about half an hour more when suddenly the lights flickered and Elena clenched her fists. The last thing her nerves needed right now was a black out.

It was as if a higher power had heard her, and ignored her. The lights flickered again, but this time instead of coming back on. They shut off completely. Elena sat frozen in the dark. Suddenly there was a hand on her shoulder and she let out a terrified cry.

She heard Stefan laugh from beside her. It wasn't a malicious laugh. It was a laugh that sounded like he was amused at the entire situation. _There's nothing amusing about it! _Elena thought angrily.

"I'll go get some candles," Stefan offered. Elena said nothing and he accepted her silence as agreement. He got up and left the room. Elena listened to the sound of rain driving into the windows in the form of watery pellets. She listened to the house groaning under the force of the wind.

_Calm down, Elena. You're fine, _she told herself, _It's a power outage. You're too old to be scared of the dark._

Stefan returned a small while later, the glow of a candle illuminated his chiseled face. "Well, it's eleven already. Should we just call it a night?"

Elena agreed. They ascended the stairs, allowing the dull light of the candle to guide them. "You know, I used to be terrified of storms like this," Stefan said amicably.

"Really?" Elena smirked. _Not so tough after all._

"Yeah. Until one night, during a really rough one, my mom told Damon and I that there wasn't anything to be afraid of. It was God's way of watering the earth."

Elena smiled. It was kind of adorable to picture Stefan hiding under his comforter, cowering from the storm outside. She could clearly picture a motherly figure attempting to comfort him.

"Are you going to be okay?" Stefan asked in a concerned tone.

Elena dramatically swept a hand over her forehead, mimicking a damsel in distress. "Oh no, Stefan," she said sarcastically, "whatever shall I do without you."

Stefan laughed. "Okay, yeah. Whatever. Good night Elena," he smiled down at her.

"Good night, Stefan." She returned his smile.

**Wow sorry for the not-so-prompt update guys! I've been incredibly busy. I unfortunately have a lot to do this week. I just figured I should stop ignoring this fic**


	14. Chapter 14

_Water. The liquid of life. Right now I couldn't agree. It was engulfing me, suffocating me. I struggled against my seat belt. It gave way and I drifted over to the car door. The familiar felt seats that I had fallen asleep on during long summer drives felt scratchy and alien against my skin. I beat against the unyielding glass of the car window. I tugged on the handle but the door would not swing open. Panic began to set in and my muscles erupted in flame due to a lack of oxygen. I turned to look at my parents in the front seat. My mother's hair was adrift above her head. She was no longer moving. My father turned to me and reached out. I took his hand. My eyes were stinging, but it had nothing to do with the river water._

_"Daddy," I managed to mouth._

_He smiled at me. If we weren't under ten feet of water, it would have been comforting. "I love you," he mouthed._

_My index and middle fingers lingered over his wrist and I could feel his pulse beating slowly. I watched as his posture slacked and I could feel the beat below my fingers wayne._

_"No. Daddy. Come on, stay with me," I pleaded. He smiled again. "Daddy! Daddy come on! Daddy!"_

_"Elena,"_

_"Daddy!"_

"Elena!"

Her eyes shot open. Stefan was leaning over her. Confusion and fear were dancing across his face. She turned and was blinding by her bedside lamp, which Stefan had probably turned on.

"What?" was all Elena could ask in her delirious state.

"I was getting ready to go to bed, but I heard you talking..loudly..in your sleep," Stefan explained quietly, "Are you okay?"

She could have said it. She could have said, "Oh yeah Stefan. I'm fine. I just had a nightmare." It would have been easy for her, almost like breathing. She stopped herself. They were past that. They've helped each other through some serious situations. Stefan was closer than that. He deserved more than her lies.

"I dreamt of my father. I dreamt of that night...the accident," she admitted quietly.

Stefan surprised her by pulling her into a tight embrace. His hair was a little damp and he smelled of pine needles and spring rain. Elena smiled a bit. She privately enjoyed Stefan's post-shower-scent. It was oddly comforting, and where it lacked, his arms around her didn't. "You don't have to talk about it," Stefan said.

Elena inhaled. "I want to. I want to get it all off my chest. I haven't really talked to anyone about it. Just...not tonight."

"Okay. Whenever you're ready," Stefan replied.

Elena bit her lower lip. She didn't want to talk about her dream, but she didn't want Stefan to leave. She knew that as soon as her bedroom lights were extinguished, the loneliness would come flooding back in and claim her. She didn't want to seem weak either.

"Should I stay, or are you going to be okay?" he asked.

"Um. Can you , well if it's not a big deal, can you stay?"

He nodded. "Elena, don't worry. It's fine." He released her and she sank back and pulled the covers tightly around her. He turned off the light and rolled back beside her. They weren't quite touching but Elena could feel his warmth next to her.

"When I was a kid, I used to get really bad nightmares after watching scary shows before my bedtime," Stefan whispered, "I would go running to my parent's room and my mom would cradle me and tell me about happy things until I went to sleep again. I know it's a little kiddish, but it might help."

Elena smiled a bit as she imagined Stefan as a toddler, teetering into his parent's room and climbing into his mother's arms. "Okay," she said.

"What's your happiest memory?" Stefan asked.

"Oh that's tough," Elena replied chewing her lower lip.

"I'll go first," Stefan suggested.

"Okay."

_I was about eight years old. It was during the summer, during a Pee Wee football game. Mom, dad, and Damon were in the stands cheering me on. It was really, really hot. I remember seeing little waves of heat rising from the opposite end of the field. I was running down the middle, the ball in my hands. I didn't realize it, but I was sweating like a pig. Anyway, I got tackled. When the adrenaline wore off, I could feel the wariness and the dizziness kicking in. I blacked out._

"That doesn't sound very happy," Elena teased.

"Shhh, I'm not done yet!" Stefan laughed.

_When I came to, I was in the shade and my dad was was sitting over me and he smiled. He handed me a bottle of Gatorade. I felt really ashamed, you know? Like, wow, I really let my dad down. But, he helped me sit up and he clapped me on the back. "You were really tough out there, Sport," he told me. I remember smiling at him because I was overjoyed that my dad was __**really **__proud of me._

Stefan went silent all of a sudden. Elena reached out and took his hand. "It's okay," she whispered, "He's still probably really proud of you, Stefan."

Stefan squeezed her hand, "It's your turn," he said quietly. He secretly scolded himself. He didn't mean for his problems to overshadow Elena's. His were not nearly as severe.

"My mom and I used to bake a lot. It was kind of our mother-daughter thing. I remember, the day before..the accident..we baked and that was the last really happy memory I really have of her."

"Do you want to bake tomorrow?" Stefan turned to her and asked.

"Um, sure, if you don't have anything going on," Elena replied, trying to hide her excitement.

Stefan smiled into the darkness, and little did he know, Elena was smiling too.

x~x~x~x~x~x

The salty air drifted into the open windows of the quaint beach house. Damon was sleeping and Alaric was at his back. He had his arms wrapped comfortably around Damon. One hand lazily brushed through Damon's hair. The other drifted lazily along Damon's wrist. Alaric could feel the scars there. The evidence of Damon's difficult past. He wasn't sure that Damon was even aware of him at the moment, but it was okay. He felt that one day, just by touching Damon's half-healed flesh wounds, he would heal the wounds to Damon's spirit.

Alaric smiled into the darkness, and little did he know, Damon was smiling too


End file.
